Volunteer Borneo and the Philippines Projects

We have four different teams departing for Borneo and the Philippines each year: January, April, July and September. Typically programmes are ten weeks long, taking in all the sights and experiences. The exception to this is the July departure date, which is a six-week programme and aims to pack as much into that shorter period as possible. To visit the Philippines phase, you'll need to book onto a 10 week project.

Week 1- 6 - Borneo

Phase 1 - Rural Kuching (Community Renovation, Kuching and Gunung Mulu National Park)
Living alongside the tribal Sarawak people, your work here involves the renovation of community buildings, teaching English, building community veggie gardens and helping survey the area for future ecotourism activities. After your time on this project you’ll spend a couple of nights back in Kuching where you can walk along the river and enjoy the evening markets. Next stop is a visit to the Gunung Mulu National Park, an amazing World Heritage site. Meander through the jungle, paddle the caves by river boat or walk high up on a canopy skywalk.

Phase 2 - Plantation School
Sabah - once covered in towering tropical rainforest, is now covered in oil palm plantations. Here you will help the project - Borneo Child Aid, based about an hour from Tawau. Over the last 10 years they have established over 100 schools to provide education to the thousands of children born inside the oil palm plantations, who are not entitled to state education. Here you will help teach at the Plantation Village School, and change lives.

Phase 3 - Sepilok Orangutan Centre & Rainforest Camp and Trek
Next up, the world famous orangutan rehabilitation centre where you’ll have time to visit the orangutans at feeding time, before nipping off for a jungle river safari at Kinabatangan. Now it’s time to head west to the Lupa Masa Jungle Camp, near Poring Hot Springs. Here you will spend 2 nights learning forest survival skills before heading off on a 3-day jungle trek, sleeping in different camps every night. Lupa Masa is just metres away from Mount Kinabalu National Park, and hosts incredible bio-diversity, so look out for the western tarsier, slow loris, flying colugo, squirrels and countless birds and insects.

Phase 4 - Kudat Rungus Village Beach Project & Kota Kinabul
Kudat, the new ‘must see’ place in Sabah, with untouched beaches and perfect snorkelling waters. Here you will learn how to make traditional handicrafts and jewellery and help with the beach clean-ups, educating the villagers about litter disposal. You can also go fishing, hike up hills and experience some exceptional marine bioluminescence, all topped off with beach barbecues. The last phase of your Borneo stay is to sample the bright lights and buzz of Kota Kinabalu. Seize the opportunity to explore the area: climb Kinabalu or do a PADI course before venturing further to the Philippines.

Weeks 7 - 10 - The Philippines

Phase 5 ( 10 week project only) - Bulusan
You’ll fly into Legazpi City, via the capital of Manila, to reach the small town of Bulusan, dominated by its sleeping volcano. Here you’ll live with local families amongst virgin rainforest to help NGO’s with reforestation and development projects. Now it’s time to climb Bulusan itself. It’s great physical challenge, but you’ll be assisted with the help of local guides to help transport everything you need – food, camping equipment etc. for a 3 day and 2 night adventure snaking through the rainforest to reach the lunar landscape at the top. (Dependent on the Volcano's activity).

Phase 6 – Ticao island
Your projects on the island include helping the fishermen in their day-to-day activities, assisting with the ongoing projects of the school (for example making tables and chairs, paving the walkway, painting the school building, cleaning the grounds, etc), and helping with ongoing training activities for the community-based tourism projects.

Phase 7 - Malilipot
Malilipot, surrounded by the Mayon Volcano is your next stop. You will be helping the local cottage industries in the production of the abaca products, which is part of the towns culture and daily lives. These products are where the local people get their daily income to support their families. You will also spend a few days in the Canaway Dairy Farm. The Canaway Dairy Farm is the top supplier of fresh milk to the Bicol region. Here you will be assisting the team and learning about this industry.

Contact Information

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